Implement for teaching fingering



April 17, 1928.

P. F. MOFFETT IMPLEMENT FOR TEACHING FINGERING Filed May 16, 1927 fil? ff g 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17, 192s.

P. F. MOFFETT IMPLEMENT FOR TEACHING FINGERING Filed May 1e. A1927 2 @eats-Sluit 2 Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

f UNITED STATES 1,666,464 PATENT ori-files.

" PATRICK vF1 Merriam, or WORCESTER', MASSACHUSETTS.

"rMPLEMENT'f FOR 'rEacHING FINGERING.

vApplication filed` lay 16,

- inventionalsohasgforlits objects to provide afisimple .and inexpensiveI ldevice 'for those purposes; to provide a device of thischaracterwhich. can be 'easily and inexpensively made. and :used with equal facility and `simplicity, and to secure lthe doubleJmeans for drawing'scalesand rchords on paper.

This vinvention l`provides an interesting means forholding.' the ypupilsattention and keeping up interestk in manual .'practice, besides assisting muscular development of they hand andladding to lthe flexibility. 'Italso encourages pupils'to lwrite thes'cales and chords on paper, orarepresentation thereof,

all of which adds to their familiarity lWiththe subject.

Other advantages of the invention willi represent the areas'in which the blaek'keysVM appear hereinafter.

:Reference is toY be had tothe accompanying drawings,.in which v Fig.,1 is a planof an implement* embodyingxthis vinvention showing it complete;

Fig.2 is as'nnilar'viewshowing 4itfin `condition'for use inl practicing the fingering of f the chromatiescale;

Fig. 3 is a'ifrontiedgevviewofthe same;

Fi 4is a view like .'Fig. 1, -f'with all the detacable parts removed., l

Fig. 5isa view of. aiisheet of paper illustrating the representation of the same scale thereon, made by the aid of this implement;

Fig. 6 is a plan of a simplified form of the implement; and

Fig. 7 is an edge view of the same.

In the form of the invention shown in the first four figures, the implement is in the form of a strip 10 of wood or any convenient material. On the top surface are lines l1 spaced a art to provide between them spaces 12 o the same width as the White keys of a piano. The lines 11 represent the centers of the keys. Near one edge are black lines 13 arranged parallel with the lines 11 and in the proper places to indicate the positions of the centers of the black keys.

' itself.

1927.4v semi No1 191,838.

On the edge are black lines 13l arranged parallel with the lines l1 fand in the proper places tofindicate the positions of thecenters of blackkeys. On the edgeishown in Fig. Jr-there* are vertical lines'l/iV which arei a continuationof the lines 11 andthere'are also black -lines 15 which are inexact alignmeuh-with theiblaek linesl and forthe same purpose. -Thef'letters C,D, etc. appeart onf-the frontvof' the instrumentY for'an-obviousW-purpose, butthey may bel`omitted, especiallyl for advanced pupils.

In addition to this, the vform shown: inY the 'first four fgures-isl'provided a series ofholes 20, two of them beinglocated on each line llv'and'with'a series of holes 21 located preferably at the end y'of eachline 13. 4These holes gor 'through 'thebard The lower series of lho'lesQO 'are used chiefly for the thumbs. The `'implement can be used simply fwithv -these holes as showing Where the fingers should beV placed bin 'play-y ing assho'wn in Fig.' 4, but Ihave'f'provided a series of pins '23 having heads or discs and"r Shanks. 'The/Shanks arefplaced in thefliolesr 20 andthe-headsrepresent the areas to be struck` by the fingers. Also pins 24 are similarly'plac'ed inand overthe holes 21fto .placed in -exactly'fthe `right position obviously. This represents the instrument 13, Man'd liarethesame as above described l and the' lettersC, D, lE, `ie'tc. may femployed. This instrument can be used for practice purposes. I have shown it as only two octaves long but it can be made any number of octaves. This is used to facilitate the playing of chords and scales as in the other case.

The method of using the instrument shown in the first four figures is exactly the same but there we have the discs which are more easily found and the upil can readily become accustomed to the ngersexactly in the center of the various keys by practice with this form of the invention.

The device, in either of the forms shown or any form coming within the scope of this invention, can be used also for making graphic representations of chords and scales. The implement gives the proper spacings and the holes 20 and 2l constitute guides or templets by which the key to be struck can be indicated onpaper by simply placing a pencil in these holes, one after the other, and marking the circles on the paper, which, of course, will be exactly the right distance apart to indicate both the white keys and the black keys. In the use of the invention for this purpose, the front edge surface of the rule can be used to make horizontal lines if desired. The board is placedon paper and held down with the left hand or by nails or tacks extending through two small holes 29 and then a pencil mark can be made entirely around the outside edges of the implement. Then the proper holes can be selected according to the chordor scale that is to be represented. The result is shown in Fig. 5, the same scale being shown as in Fig. 2. All the holes 20 and 21 can be indicated by placing a dot on the paper for each one. In the latter case practically a rduplicate of this implement can be obtained, except that the letters have to be put on afterwards, if they are to be used, or they can be omitted when a pupil is far enough along for that.

This instrument in either of the forms shown or any form coming within the scope of this invention, is adapted to be used with great facility for the purpose of the fingering exercises and the exercising of the fingers so as to get them into a more elastic condition. It also has the effect of getting the pupil into the habit of holding the hands at the right angle and it is of such a nature as to stimulate interest and increase the amount of practice that the average pupil will do. Means is provided whereby chords and scales can be represented on a sheet of paper as indicated briefly in Fig. 5, a permanent record is secured to that the pupil can practice the same frequently without setting up the instrument every time. Even if the pupils memory fails as to the keys to Y be struck he can practice with this record.

Although I have illustrated and described only two forms of the invention I am aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person skilled inthe art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is:

l. As an article of manufacture, an imV plement of the class described having holes extending all the way therethrough and spaced apart in the relative locations of the longitudinal center lines of a series of the white and black keys of a piano, for use in practice and drawing musical elements on a sheet of paper. l

3. As an article of manufacture, an implement of the class described having holes therethrough in the relative locations of the centers of the white and black keys of a piano for use in practice in making musical elements on a sheet of paper, and headed pins adapted to be inserted in said holes to represent chords, scales directly on the instrument.

4. As an article of manufacture, an implement of the class described having holes therethrough in the relative locations of the centers of the white and black keys of a piano for use in practice in making musical elements on a sheet of paper, and means adapted to be held in said holes for indicating the positions to be struck by the fingers and thumbs respectively, the indicating means representing the black keys being at a greater elevationk than the others.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afixed my signature.

PATRICK F. MOFFVETT. 

